Tim Andrews, a 66-year-old American, made history by surviving for 271 days with a kidney transplanted from a pig. This remarkable achievement came as he awaited a human kidney transplant while battling end-stage kidney disease due to diabetes and hypertension. His chances of receiving a human kidney within five years were estimated at a mere 9%, with a significant 49% risk of either dying or becoming too ill to stay on the waiting list. "If I'm going to die, I might as well do something for humanity and be part of this experiment," Andrews stated when he decided to participate in the groundbreaking program.
In January 2025, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital performed the transplant, using a pig kidney engineered by eGenesis, which underwent 69 genetic modifications. These changes included eliminating genes that could provoke immune responses, adding seven human genes, and disabling porcine retroviruses. To support the transplant, Andrews was required to take up to 52 pills daily.
The pig kidney functioned immediately, allowing Andrews to be discharged just a week after the surgery. He enjoyed a significant improvement in his quality of life, as he no longer needed dialysis and could resume cooking, vacuuming, and taking long walks with his dog, Cupcake.
Unfortunately, after 271 days, the kidney had to be removed due to inflammation that caused blood clots in its blood vessels. Following this, Andrews underwent dialysis for 82 days before successfully receiving a human donor kidney, which is currently functioning well. In the United States, over 90,000 individuals were on the waiting list for a donor kidney in 2025, while approximately 27,000 kidney transplants were performed that year.
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